Know the foe: Ball State vs. North Texas

Brett Vito has covered North Texas athletics for the Denton Record-Chronicle since 2003. As Ball State's football team prepares to head down to the Lone Star state for a meeting with the Mean Green, The Star Press Cardinals football beat writer Ben Breiner caught up with Vito to pose a few questions and get a better sense of Ball State's next opponent.

BB: In recent years explosive plays have been hard to come by for the Mean Green. What's changed this season?

BV: To be honest, UNT played Idaho to open the season. The Vandals are one of the worst teams in college football. That game padded UNT's stats a little, but I do think UNT has shown the ability to be more explosive at times. Wide receiver Brelan Chancellor is one of the more explosive players UNT has had in recent years and can do it all. He had 283 yards in UNT's season opener and caught an 85-yard touchdown pass. Running back Antoinne Jimmerson is also an explosive player.

BB: What did this team take from a close loss at another Mid-American Conference team in Ohio?

BV: UNT showed a lot of resolve to come from 14 down to tie the game up and its defense played well in the red zone, but outside of that, not much. UNT is in the midst of a run of eight straight losing seasons, is in its third year under Dan McCarney and really needs to win now. There is a sense around the program that this season is a huge opportunity for UNT and could be a turning point for the program. This is UNT's first year in Conference USA. The point is that McCarney and his players are saying that the time for moral victories has long since past. UNT really needs to win. When a game UNT could have won - like Saturday's game against Ohio - gets away, UNT's coaches and players are in no mood to talk about taking something from a close loss.

BB: How close is this team to staging a turnaround season in Dan McCarney's third year in Denton.

BV: Well, that is the million dollar question. UNT looked good in its first two games, especially in its win over Idaho. Getting to .500 would be a huge accomplishment for UNT, even though the Mean Green finished just one game short at 5-7 two years ago. Conference USA does not look very strong this year, so the opportunity is there. We will know more after this weekend. If UNT can upset Ball State, it would be 2-1 on the year and have a great shot to get to six wins. Lose this game and things start to look challenging for UNT, which has to go to Georgia next week. Barring a miracle, UNT loses that game, which makes this game a swing game. UNT could be 2-2 heading into C-USA play and really close to that turnaround season if it can beat Ball State. Lose this one and UNT is likely looking at 1-3 with a long hill to climb.

BB: Ball State is obviously a squad that leads with its offense, especially the passing game. How does this Mean Green squad try to match up with that sort of high-paced attack?

BV: By changing its lineup for one. Zac Whitfield is out at corner - at least as a starter - and will be replaced by former walk-on Kenny Buyers, who intercepted a pass last week. UNT has given up a bunch of huge plays in the passing game and has to be better if it wants to have a chance against Ball State. The return of defensive end Daryl Mason from a shoulder injury will also help. Fellow defensive end Brandon McCoy was back last week against Ohio. UNT will have to pressure Keith Wenning and hold up better in the secondary.

BB: What sort of field general has Derek Thompson developed into in his third season seeing major time?

BV: Derek is a good leader and a pretty good player, who is also the lightning rod for UNT fans. He's been great at times but has also made some mistakes. He threw an interception that was Ohio returned for a touchdown. That was a huge play last week. But the week before against Idaho, he threw an 85-yard touchdown pass to Chancellor. He's completing 75 percent of his passes for 272 yards a game. Personally, I think he's underappreciated.

BB: Who wins the game and why?

BV: UNT is pretty hard to beat at Apogee, where the Mean Green is 8-4 under McCarney. It's also going to be hot, which will favor UNT. This is also close to a must-win early in the season for the Mean Green. I hate the matchup of Ball State's passing game against UNT's defense. I could see it going either way, but I'll take UNT 28-27.

Bonus question: Where is the one place I must eat in Denton?

BV: I get asked this question a lot in these Q&As and am roundly booed by UNT fans for my answers. The wife has food allergies and works out of town. We just don't eat out in Denton much, but one bit of advice I would give is to hit up the downtown area around the square. There are a lot of places around there to go. Hannah's Off The Square is a nice place for a nice sit down dinner. There are also a ton of the other options, including Fuzzy's Tacos, Rusty Taco and other places like that. The Pourhouse Sports Grill on the south end of town is also a nice place to go. It has a patio that overlooks a small lake and has TVs, so one can watch the early games. I will now step aside and duck the tomatoes.

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Know the foe: Ball State vs. North Texas

Brett Vito has covered North Texas athletics for the Denton Record-Chronicle since 2003. As Ball State's football team prepares to head down to the Lone Star state for a meeting with the Mean Green,